Massachusetts based IDC estimates that Samsung shipped a whopping 42.2-million smartphone units during the first quarter of 2012, a 267% increase year-on-year. Juniper’s numbers were similar, as the firm estimated that Samsung shipped 46.9 million smartphones in the first quarter. ComScore didn’t provide an exact figure, but reported that Samsung accounts for 26% of all handsets sold in North America.

Apple slipped to second place, shipping 35.1 million iPhones, an 88.7% year-over-year increase, according to IDC. Juniper reported nearly the same figure as IDC, while ComScore reported Apple commands a 14% share of the overall market, a rise of 1.4%.

Overall, according to IDC, the smartphone market grew 42.5% year-over-year in Q1 2012, as manufacturers shipped an estimated 144.9 million smartphones, compared to 2011′s 101.7 million.

Statistics published by these market research groups show that the two biggest losers thus far this quarter are Nokia and RIM. Nokia, which began the previous decade as the undisputed king of mobile phones, has seen its credit rating be downgraded to non-investment grade “junk” status by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch as sales dropped by half year-over-year. RIM’s decline was not as sharp as Nokia’s; IDC reports their sales dropped by 29.7% year-over-year as Blackberry only accounted for 6.8% of all handsets sold this past quarter.